TCL Nxtpaper 10s review | CHOICE

Bright backlit screens tend to cause eye strain, so tablets are not suitable for long reading sessions. This is an advantage of e-readers, but their scope is largely limited to e-reading and basic web browsing.

TCL’s new tablet, Nxtpaper 10s, aims to combine the best of these products into a mid-range tablet that is easy on the eyes. Unfortunately, this jack-of-all-trades approach, coupled with some frustrating software bugs, means that teens don’t perform well as e-readers and tablets.

What is the difference of Nxtpaper 10s?

The TCL’s main feature is a “faux paper” screen that looks and feels like an e-reader, and underneath is a fully functional 10.1-inch LCD tablet. Instead of using e-ink, the 10s recreates this experience with a matte screen and blue light reduction technology designed to limit glare and eye strain. The screen’s protective coating claims to have a “paper-like” feel, perhaps similar to using a pen on a notepad.

It’s far from “paper-like,” but finger (or stylus) taps and drags are much more comfortable and have a good amount of resistance than a typical tablet. It’s fine for jotting down notes or making lists, but it doesn’t have the finesse needed for detailed drawing. The matte finish also covers most fingerprints, so you don’t have to constantly wipe it off with your shirt.

screen quality

Matte screens are naturally darker than glossy screens. But even by matte standards, the 10s are so dim that they lack clarity and punch overall. This can help reduce eye strain in dark environments, such as reading in bed at night, but can cause problems in direct sunlight or bright rooms.

Nxtpaper 10s performs very well if TCL upped the brightness

That said, the matte screen does improve outdoor performance, even on bright, sunny days. Objects are still dim, but if you’re looking at something against a white background, it’s better than a glossy tablet in direct light. is also much easier to read. This is to be expected outdoors, but it’s much more difficult to make sense of anything in black (or photographs or artwork).

If the TCL stepped up the brightness, the Nxtpaper 10s would perform very well in these conditions and stand out from the pack.

e-books and texts

As far as e-book reading is concerned, the decade does a reasonable job, but you can’t quite shake the tablet’s DNA. The text is crisp and easy to read, but it lacks the sharpness of an e-reader and the punch of a tablet’s backlight.

There’s an “e-reader mode” that tries to improve these aspects by switching the screen to monochrome, but it makes things look a little sepia, so the colors aren’t quite right.

Photos, drawings, graphic novels

A paper-like screen offers several advantages for color photography, drawings, paintings, and similar arts such as graphic novels. It adds depth and helps produce deeper blacks, a little extra contrast, moderately rich colors and warmer skin tones.

Still, images feel pretty muted and soft, and the dim screen combined with the increased contrast causes some blackout. is very noticeable.

general performance

Being a mid-range tablet, the Nxtpaper 10s performs unsurprisingly middling. It can handle everyday tasks like web browsing, checking email, and word processing, but the screen tends to jerk while scrolling.

Being a mid-range tablet, the Nxtpaper 10s performs unsurprisingly middling.

YouTube videos run fine at 1080p, but the quality is dark and a bit soft, and high-end games are generally smooth. However, the graphics quality is usually reduced to a lower setting so the processor is not overloaded. Still, expect a few frames to drop here and there.

The input lag is pretty low, but fairly consistent, and you’ll notice things lag slightly. Writing and drawing with a stylus can be frustrating if you’re used to it.

PC mode

Some kits come bundled with a keyboard case and are fully functional. Once installed, Nxtpaper 10s activates “PC Mode”, changing its touchscreen-friendly interface to one reminiscent of a Windows laptop. It’s a cool idea to have a much more seamless keyboard integration than other tablets that have to use the default operating system.

That is, until you remove the keyboard. Nxtpaper automatically activates PC mode without issue, but when I remove the keyboard, it doesn’t automatically switch back to tablet mode.

A reset or shutdown does not fix the problem. Instead, you have to go to Android settings and manually switch back to the default interface each time. It’s an inexplicable oversight that makes people think their tablet is broken.

Nxtpaper automatically enables PC mode without issue, but does not automatically switch back to tablet mode when the keyboard is removed.

To illustrate your point, you need to do the following:Detach the keyboard and go to Configuration then select app > default app > home app Select the default interface for your tablet. This is a major pain point for anyone with a bit of Android know-how, let alone the average user who is unlikely to have this sort of troubleshooting knowledge.

size, weight, comfort

Like the performance, the design is nothing to write home about. The material is not flashy or cheap, it is not too heavy, and it is basic yet has just the right amount of beauty. The bezels might be a little thick for those who are close to 1cm.The placement of the rear camera makes the tablet wobbly if you’re using it on a flat surface.But those are the only real issues with the design.

specification

• Dimensions: 24cm x 16cm x 8.5cm

• Weight: 490g
• Screen size and resolution: 10.1 inch, 1920 x 1200.
• Battery: 8000mAh, all-day charge (billed).
• Camera resolution (rear and front): 8MP and 5MP.
• Storage: 64GB, expandable up to 256GB with microSD.
• Memory: 4GB

Stock image: Getty unless otherwise noted.